Joya Sherrill

American jazz singer, songwriter and children's TV host. Born 20 August 1927 in Bayonne, New Jersey, USA. Died 28 June 2010 (82 years of age) in Great Neck, New York, USA. Sherrill is noted for her time with the Duke Ellington Orchestra in the 1940's. In 1962, she participated in a band assembled by Benny Goodman that toured the Soviet Union. Sherrill originally aspired to be a writer. While she was still in high school, she wrote lyrics to his theme song, “Take the ‘A’ Train.” Her father, a prominent writer, arranged for Ellington to hear her performance of it while he was in town. Sherrill impressed Ellington, and he offered her a job when Ivie Anderson left his band in August 1942. She sang lead vocals on two Duke Ellington U.S. charted songs--"I'm Beginning to See the Light" (#6 overall, #4 R&B) and "I Ain't Got Nothin' But the Blues" (#4 R&B), both in 1945. As a songwriter, she is best known for "(The) Kissing Bug", which has been covererd by more than 20 artists.

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